9-11am
Very blustery still in the aftermath of Storm Darragh.
Field south of Aldcliffe Hall Lane (opposite 1887 house):
9am – 2 Herons and 3 Little Egrets. I don’t normally see them this high up from the river. Presumably hiding from the wind.
11am – Herons and Egrets still present, along with:
c40 Black-headed Gulls
c50 Jackdaw
5+ Rook
7 Oystercatcher
1 Song Thrush
1 Redwing
c5 Blackbird
2 Stock Dove
Aldcliffe Flood: Very high water but no birds.
Wildfowlers’ Pools:
Also high water – about an inch off flooding the path.
c20 Teal
10 Mallard
2 Little Grebe
1 Moorhen
1 Buzzard low over
Frog Pond:
c35 Wigeon
2 Moorhen
1 Oystercatcher
4 Curlew
12 Woodpigeon
1 Rook
1 Mistle Thrush in field
c30 thrushes over in one flock – at least some of these were Fieldfare
Freeman’s Pool:
c55 Wigeon
c5 Mallard
c5 Gadwall
1 Tuftie
1 drake Goldeneye – flew towards river just after I spotted him.
c15 Coot
Aldcliffe Marsh:
c360 Canada Goose
7 Greylags with the Canadas
1 Pinkfoot over (is this a skein?)
1 small brown raptor (Merlin or Sparrowhawk?) trying to hunt in the wind, unsuccessfully.
Bonus round:
This evening (c16:20) at Ashton Hall Garden Centre, c500 Jackdaws flew over towards the river, presumably to roost.
